1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing once again to demand that you stand up against Russell Vought and this administration’s continued attacks on our federal workforce and the agencies Americans depend on. The latest reporting on the Office of Personnel Management should alarm every member of Congress. OPM has lost 35% of its workforce since December 2024, and the administration is still pursuing additional staffing cuts. According to the Government Accountability Office, these cuts have already reduced institutional knowledge and operational capacity and risk worsening critical skills gaps. This is not responsible government reform. You cannot dismantle the federal workforce, drive out experienced career employees, hollow out agencies, and then expect those agencies to provide better and faster services to the American people. The consequences are already being felt. Federal retirees have reportedly waited months for their retirement benefits to be fully processed, forcing some to drain savings, withdraw retirement funds, and rely on credit cards just to survive. At the same time, OPM is cutting staff in the very offices responsible for these essential functions and proposing to take on additional responsibilities with fewer employees. Even more disturbing is the reported lack of transparency. GAO sought information from OPM about its reorganization and the reasoning behind closing or consolidating offices, yet the agency failed for months to provide requested documents, meet with GAO officials, or answer written questions. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight, and this administration cannot be allowed to dismantle federal agencies behind closed doors without meaningful scrutiny or accountability. Russell Vought has been a central architect of this administration’s effort to radically reshape and weaken the federal government. Congress must stop standing by while career public servants are pushed out, collective bargaining rights are attacked, agencies are stripped of expertise, and actions of questionable legality are forced through while litigation and legal challenges continue. Federal employees are not political enemies. They are our neighbors and fellow Americans who process retirement benefits, administer Social Security, care for veterans, protect public health, enforce our laws, maintain our infrastructure, and perform countless other services that Americans rely upon every day. I am asking you to use every power available to Congress to demand accountability from Russell Vought, OPM, and this administration. Hold oversight hearings. Demand the documents that GAO and Congress need. Challenge unlawful actions in court where appropriate. Protect merit-based civil service protections and collective bargaining rights. Stop funding efforts designed to indiscriminately dismantle federal agencies. And refuse to remain silent while the institutions you were elected to oversee are systematically weakened. History will remember which members of Congress defended our constitutional system of checks and balances and which ones stood by while executive power expanded and independent oversight was ignored. Your constituents are watching. We expect you to defend the law, defend the institutions that serve the American people, and stand up to Russell Vought and this administration when their actions threaten the integrity and effectiveness of our federal government.